300 General Operations Flashcards
The Midwest City Fire Department shall implement the Incident Command System appropriately at all incidents for which it has management responsibility
300
Transfer of command from the first commander shall be carried out according to the accepted principles of the ICS, whereby continuity of command responsibility is formally turned over in person on the scene.
300
When a command officer arrives with the first arriving units, this command officer shall assume command and establish a fixed command post.
300
Command from a fixed position is preferred, particularly when an incident is complex or rapidly escalating.
300
If the initial company officer is “task-saturated” then he/she shall communicate the need for the transfer of command. The next arriving officer will assume command of the incident as IC1.
300
Examples:
Known Rescue
Mass Casualty Incident
Operational procedures shall be established whereby the high concentration of emergency vehicles on the scene of an incident will be alleviated in an orderly manner through the use of a staging process.
300
The ICS shall be used to maintain an effective span-of-control and workload for all supervisory personnel.
300
The goal of IC 1 is to initially prioritize and assign first arriving companies to tactics which quickly address the incident objectives of life safety, incident stabilization and property conservation in that order. For this reason IC 1 is considered a tactical commander.
300
The purpose of committing Truck 1 into the scene without staging is to provide for early access with limited impediments for improved positioning to optimize use of the aerial for current and anticipated needs.
300
Upon arrival of the Shift Commander the goal of IC 2 is to evaluate if the initial tactics and performance of tasks align with the current strategy to address the incident objectives of life safety, incident stabilization and property conservation in that order. For this reason IC 2 is considered a strategic commander.
300
IC 2 shall continuously evaluate the incident to insure strategic and tactical alignment in operations and anticipate changes and needs.
300
It should be the goal of any IC to achieve a tactical reserve using the on deck position.
300
NFPA 1710 recommends at least two members dedicated to incident management for all incidents beyond and initial alarm assignment and all responses to the following occupancies; Apartment Fires, Commercial Fires and High Rise buildings.
300
Establishment of Divisions and Groups at the tactical level support over all incident safety by increasing local accountability, supervision and improving company to company communication while reducing the span of control and potential task saturation of the IC.
300
Divisions and Groups will be created and dissolved at the discretion of the IC based on critical incident factors or potential.
300
When a division is created the IC shall provide the Division/Group Supervisor with Boundaries, Resources and Objectives.
300
The only Division that will be assumed and not formally established is Roof due to the clarity of the location.
300
As incidents grow beyond initial resource dispatch or a geographic area accessed by a single location and multiple divisions or groups have been established establishing an Operations Section should be considered.
300
Start a Search Size-Up upon dispatch of the alarm, which includes time of day and alarm response.
300
Positive reports of victims (“someone is inside”) will be quickly investigated to help prioritize the area of search within a structure.
300
All incidents are expected to include victims until the structure is cleared by fire department personnel.
300
Negative reports of victims (“everyone is out”) will not be repeated face to face or over the air.
300
Search will be a priority assignment on the fireground. Search tactics, in combination with fire attack and ventilation, support the primary incident objective of life safety.
300
In cases where the fire problem has not been located, the incident commander may assign the search team to a second tactical objective of locating the fire, in which case they will update command with a C.A.N. report
300
The search team or IC will decide how and where to enter the structure after their initial size-up. Conditions and experience will dictate the crew’s entry point and search technique.
300
Search teams must ventilate for life but be mindful to not change the ventilation profile of the structure.
300
Once in the room of origin, or fire area, the Fire Attack Team will focus on complete extinguishment while the heel position obtains a primary search of that area.
300
The incident commander is the only person on the fireground that will determine the structure all clear and have it benchmarked with dispatch.
300
If multiple crews are assigned to a search, a search group will be established with a search group supervisor.
300
When moving from defensive to offensive mode, search will be prioritized.
300
Positive pressure ventilation is a contraindication of a Window Entry Search.
300
At residential fires fire control and ventilation are preformed to support the primary search until all searchable areas of involved and exposed occupancies are cleared of unprotected occupants.
300
A tactical plan prioritizes the consideration to control or neutralize any dangers.
300
While Rescue is the highest strategic priority, fire attack may be the highest tactical priority if even just for 1 member to flow a handline to protect a rescue operation, path of egress for occupants or to slow a rapidly escalating fire event.
300
Controlling the fire reduces both thermal and toxic threats to occupants and facilitates a more effective primary search.
300
Application of water from the exterior to visible fire cools compartment linings which interferes with pyrolysis preventing further contribution of fuel and toxic gasses.
300
Optimal technique for external exposures is direct application to surfaces allowing the water to map out across the plane providing a layer of water to absorb radiant heat instead of the material.
300
Optimal technique for interior exposures is through a horizontal ventilation opening (door or window) to the fire compartment.
300
Optimal operation is a stationary, straight or solid stream at a steep angle deflecting off the ceiling with care taken not to disrupt the flow path.
300
The primary tactical objective of interior advancement is to cool and control smoke temperature and radiant heat to increase the safety of unprotected occupants and operating firefighters until effective water is applied to the source of the fire.
300
Interior water application to surfaces allows them to absorb more thermal energy from the hot smoke layer and prevents off gassing and contribution of more fuel and toxic threats to the atmosphere.
300
Cooler ceiling temperatures also causes the hot gasses in the thermal layer to cool, constrict and lift providing more survivable and searchable space at the lower levels.
300
A flow and move technique is the most effective in dwellings with a known fire location as it eliminates the thermal rebound that develops when a fire stream is shut down.
300
Firefighters should avoid advancing under a superheated thermal layer without cooling ahead.
300
When pulling past the structure, the first in apparatus should consider the set back of the structure, as well as the total size of the structure.
300
For the majority of residential structures, simply pulling the initial arriving apparatus to the far side of the neighboring “downstream” exposure will suffice.
300
When considering the initial hose deployment on apartments with a center breezeway, treat the breezeway like the “front door” of the complex and estimate the stretch off the entire building’s dimension.
300
add 50’ for each floor above/below ground level
300
For any incidents on Interstate 40 or NE 23rd (HWY 62) the standard response of 1 unit for a medical or two units for a MVA, will have an additional Traffic Safety Unit, Safety Officer and Shift Commander dispatched in order to provide for greater scene safety and coordination of protection.
300
When there are multiple patients involved requiring multiple transport units, establish a protected triage and treatment area down stream with the first arriving ambulance.
300
To reduce exposure to responders and delays in traffic, when a vehicle can be safely moved to a more protected location such as an outside lane, shoulder or off ramp, this is the recommendation of state law.
300
When possible, provide dispatch / OHP estimated incident scope and duration of traffic impact.
Minor Incident to be handled in the next 30 minutes.
Moderate Incident to be handled in less than 2 hours
Major Incident, mitigation will take longer than 2 hours.
300
For 911 fire department emergency response calls where the dispatcher knows or suspects that a civil disturbance has been involved in the call, but there is no apparent threat of additional violence, the event shall be dispatched as “Tier-One, Civil Disturbance Proceed with Caution”.
300
If the first-in unit is not comfortable with the conditions at the scene upon approach, they have the option to stage in accordance with the requirements of a Tier-Two response.
300
For 911 fire department emergency response calls where the dispatcher knows or suspects that the potential for further civil disturbance is present, the event shall be dispatched as “Tier-Two, Civil Disturbance Stage for PD”. 1/4 mile away
300
Tier-Two (Perimeter Establishment)
- In the event that an actual act of violence toward fire department personnel has occurred, a perimeter shall be identified a minimum of 1/4 mile in each direction from which the act occurred. For at least a 24 hour
300
If fire department emergency response personnel respond to an incident of an unknown nature and find themselves in a violent situation, or the area is no longer considered secure for Tier-One, Tier-Two, or Tier-Four response shall be informed by the Incident Commander that a Tier Three tactical withdrawal is necessary. 1/2 mile away.
300
If a series of actual acts of civil disturbance are reported in a specific area of the City dispatch shall identify the situation as “Tier-Four, Multiple Civil Disturbances” and the Emergency Management Director shall be notified and appraised of the situation.
300
The Emergency Management Director shall be responsible for initiating and coordinating the implementation of Midwest City’s Emergency Operations Plan for Civil Disturbances/ Riots.
300
Fire Department Response to Tier-Four civil disturbances shall be conducted in accordance with the requirements of a Tier-Two civil disturbance, with the exception that the staging, area may be required to be located in excess of ¼ mile away from areas where civil disturbances have been identified.
300
The Shift Commander will authorize all mutual aid responses and notify the Fire Chief.
300
The Company Officer should confirm that any necessary thread adapters are placed on apparatus before responding to another jurisdiction
300
When practicable, a Shift Commander should respond with the mutual aid units to aid in communications, personnel safety and scene management.
300
The primary objectives of a hazardous materials response include, but may not be limited to:
Isolating, confining and containing the hazardous material.
Evacuating the contaminated area.
Denying entry to the contaminated area.
300
The IC should determine the hazard Level of the incident as soon as possible to aid in developing the IAP, determining operations and additional required resources, and performing a risk vs. benefit analysis for any rescue, fire suppression or mitigation and containment activities.
300
Level I - These incidents are relatively small and can usually be handled using defensive actions by initial responding personnel wearing structural firefighting PPE
300
Level II - These incidents should be considered as more complex than Level I incidents and may require offensive or defensive actions and evacuation. These incidents can pose a significant threat to the environment and public health and may require trained HAZMAT teams with specialized equipment and PPE.
300
Level III - These incidents are extremely complex and pose an extreme and immediate threat to the environment and/or public health. These incidents generally exceed the capabilities of local, regional and state resources, and often require widespread evacuation.
300
There are three main types of decon. These are technical, emergency and mass decontamination
300
Whenever practicable, the decon corridor should be easily accessible to personnel leaving the hot zone and located up-wind and uphill of the hot zone and with good drainage.
300
Emergency decon should be used if an emergency occurs such as when a responder or civilian is in medical distress caused by the hazardous material or has been exposed to a highly toxic material
300
Mass decon is emergency decon conducted at the mass casualty incident level using emergency decon operations and based upon available resources:
Create the decon corridor 12 ft to 16 ft wide.
300
Stage as directed by the IC. For trench, cave-in and collapse emergencies, if the staging area has not yet been established by the IC, when practicable, stage at least 500 feet away from the incident, to minimize vibration that could further destabilize the incident.
300
If the hazard involves collapse, trench or cave-in, establish a 50-foot radius hazard zone and whenever practicable, control or eliminate all ground vibration within 500 feet of the collapse or cave-in.
300
All emergency vehicles shall park at least 100 feet from the collapse site. The only exception to this should be the technical rescue team vehicle, which may park no closer than 50 feet. All traffic should be stopped or detoured within 300 feet of the collapse site. A hazard zone shall be established to control at least 75 feet around the perimeter of the collapse zone.
300 Trench Rescue
Trench Incident Levels
Level I: Incident able to be handled by first alarm assignment with limited assistance from cooperating agencies.
Level II: Utilizes specially trained resources and requires resources beyond the capability of the local jurisdiction.
Level III: Large or complex operation requiring regional or state rescue teams/task forces.
Level IV: Utilizes national (FEMA) teams.
300
General consideration is the average weight of soil is 100 lbs. per square foot
300
Type A: Cohesive type soils with an unconfined compressive strength of 1.5 tons per square foot. Any soil with clay content is Type A.
300
Type B: Cohesive materials with an unconfined compressive strength of.5 tons per square foot and less than 1.5 tsf. Gravel, silt, and loam are examples.
300
Type C: Cohesive materials with unconfined compression strength of less than.5 tsf. This category includes granular soils, sand, and submerged soils.
300
In a rescue situation, soil types are considered to be type C and shoring should be constructed accordingly.
300
Any trench over 5 feet deep must be shored before personnel are allowed to enter.
300
Approach the ends of trench if when possible. Provide level area for ground pads and place within 6 inches of lip of trench.
300
Minimum of 2”X12” lumber placed between spoil pile and trench on level ground. 2 feet between trench and spoil pile is optimal.
300
Definition of angle of repose is the greatest angle above the horizontal plane at which loose material will lie without sliding.
300
Place minimum of 2 ground ladders for emergency exit. Ladders must remain within 25 feet of personnel for emergency access.
300
During hand digging operations, if more than 2 feet of trench wall is exposed, there is a danger of a slough in and shoring shall be placed prior to continuing digging operation.
300
Termination of the incident and removing shoring is one of the most dangerous parts of the operation.
300
The only adequate protection is by wearing a properly fitting, USCG approved type III (or better) PFD. Fire Department personnel shall wear an approved PFD at all times while engaged in any emergency response or training scenario on, in, or within 10’ of the water.
300
At any time personnel are operating on the water from a watercraft, the operator is ultimately in charge of and responsible for the watercraft. The ranking Fire Department officer is ultimately in charge of the emergency operation.
300
A Pointer shall be assigned from the first arriving company on scene whose SOLE RESPONSIBILITY is to watch and monitor status of victim(s) in the water.
300
Any time there is questionable action or lack of movement by the worker inside the confined space, a verbal check should be made.
300
If members of the Department respond to an incident requiring permit-required confined space entry, a written hazard evaluation shall be performed.
300
Casualty Collection Point (CCP) - A geographic location at or near the scene of an AS/VI and located in the cold zone, to which victims are extracted.
300
It is the officer in charge (OIC) responsibility to determine the origin and cause of each fire type, to include structural, vehicle and grass that the Midwest City Fire Department responds to in accordance with State Statute 74-314
300
MWCFD investigators shall respond to the investigation of:
When the overall damages exceed $85,000
300
If a fire investigator has been called out to investigate the origin and cause, all areas in the OIC NFIRS report will be reported as under investigation.
300
In incidents where a child/juvenile willfully starts a fire, the incident shall be treated as an incendiary fire and the fire investigator shall be contacted
300
All malicious false alarms (NFIRS incident type code 710-715) are investigated by the Fire Prevention Bureau.
300
